


before life erased you and made you not part of it

by sleepyzeldy



Series: a falling soul, moving slow and sweet (i'll meet you there, eventually) [2]
Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Canon Compliant, Character Study, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Not Beta Read, Pre-Calamity Ganon, Slow Burn-ish, Unrequited Love, but will have a sequel with a happy ending, first fic les go, he's that one "get out of my school" post, kind of, link is just v introspective, listen its just revali having a crush and not knowing how to deal, more like mildly antagonistic to friends to lovers, newbie writer, sorry peeps :(, the champions do die im sorry :(, until further notice, will add characters as they appear, you know the one
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-09
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:00:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23554201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleepyzeldy/pseuds/sleepyzeldy
Summary: Link despises arrogance. It's an unattractive trait that has followed him all his life ever since he first picked up the sword. Especially after he picked up the sword.Apparently, grown adults don’t like the idea of a 12-year-old kid having The Sword That Seals The Darkness and being the prophesized hero. Go figure.So yes, Link has faced all types of arrogance, especially from those who are all bark and no bite. They’ll try and goad him into a fight, only to end up on the floor a few seconds later. Or, as he matured, ignored and humiliated by his silence.Which is why, when Revali quite literally flies into his life, Link is sure they’ll never get along.(Or, how Link learned to face his demons, fell in love, and recognized the importance of friendship before having it all ripped away from him. Not necessarily in that order.)
Relationships: Link & The Champions, Link & Zelda, Link/Revali (Legend of Zelda), Mipha/Zelda (Legend of Zelda), Zelda & Revali, just friendships all around
Series: a falling soul, moving slow and sweet (i'll meet you there, eventually) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1695271
Comments: 40
Kudos: 151





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> welcome to my first fic! i just really love botw and revalink so here u go. enjoy!

Link isn’t quite sure when he stopped speaking. He only knows it was sometime between finding the sword and becoming the Princess’s knight.

It wasn't an overnight thing. Not really.

It happened quite gradually, like a rock being smoothed by water and wind over the years, bits and pieces broken over time until deep grooves are left behind. As more and more people looked at him with eyes full of respect and fear and _expectations_ , Link realized he didn’t belong to just himself. Nevermore would he be a child who happened to be the son of a royal guard and a farmer.

No, ever since he found that sword, he had become The Hero Destined To Defeat Ganon. He's no longer his own person, but a well-used pawn fulfilling a role placed upon him since the beginning of times.

It scares him.

He has never told anyone that of course (and he never will) but it feels good to be honest with someone, even if that someone is just himself (Link refuses to acknowledge how pathetic that sounds).

Nevertheless, as time goes on, he begins speaking less and less.

Most people are always happier that way, he notes. They see him, standing tall and silent and see a hero. They are assured that, because he's so mature and quiet and “ _such a good listener!_ " that he must be their saving grace after all.

Soon enough he stops talking altogether.

\---

Link has known sign language since he was ten. At first, he learned because of Aryll, his sister, who had found the language of hands so fascinating after observing two travelers having a conversation, and insisted they had to learn it. They as in her and her big brother Link, because he was always bound to be dragged into her schemes. He found he could never say no to her, anyways. Not that he truly minded these adventures of course. If anything, they were always fun to recall.

So there they were; a ten-year-old Link with his seven-year-old sister, begging their mother to enlist them in the local classes. She hadn’t been convinced at first, thinking they would grow bored and abandon it eventually, but was forced to forfeit to their wishes when they hit her with their secret technique: puppy eyes. Their mother was defeated quite swiftly.

It's no surprise then, when Link found himself using his hands to communicate more and more as his voice was used less and less.

Not for the first or last time in his life, Link finds himself thanking the Goddess for placing Aryll in his life.

***

The Princess despises him.

Everyone knows this. In fact, Link is sure even the wild animals of Hyrule know this. Possibly even the fauna and flora. It’s that evident.

And Link? Link _hates_ it.

As a young child (because he is, isn’t he?) with anxiety so severe it caused him to stop speaking just to appear strong for fear of disappointing others and making them hate him, this is literally his worst nightmare. The one person he’s directly in charge of keeping safe (though technically as the legendary hero, isn’t he in charge of everyone’s lives? Link shudders and ignores that train of thought) hates him with so much fervor that simply looking at his face ruins her day beyond repair.

Okay, maybe he’s exaggerating. The princess is actually quite polite, though cold and unapproachable at best. Still. He’s sure she hates him, would bet the Master Sword on it.

What he hates the most, however, is that his anger is not directed at the princess at all. Sure, her constant comments get under his skin and her annoying habit of disappearing out of nowhere makes his job much harder, but he could never find it in himself to hate her. Mainly, Link feels sympathy. He can't imagine how hard losing her mother must have been, especially at such a young age. Despite all her efforts to speak to the goddess, he knew she had little success. And on top of all that, being a princess meant a lot of pressure from everyone and everything, so he didn’t blame her for being passive-aggressive as an outlet. Even if he was the recipient 90% the time.

No, his anger is not directed at her, but at himself. He _knows_ it’s irrational. After all, not all people will like him despite his best efforts. He _knows_ some people don’t get along no matter the circumstances. Yet, knowing is not the same as believing. And Goddess knows his brain has never been kind in the believing department.

Needless to say, Link isn’t doing too hot.

Regardless, he never lets any of this come to light. His stone-faced mask is impeccable as ever, even in the rare times the princess happens to stray from forced politeness to harsh comments.

His silence, to no one's surprise, only serves to infuriate the princess further. Link will not give up his coping mechanism, however, so the princess can deal with it.

He dismisses his feelings and continues his role as the silent guard.

***

When they begin gathering the champions, Revali is the first.

Link despises arrogance. It's an unattractive trait that has followed him all his life ever since he first picked up the sword. Especially after he picked up the sword.

Apparently, grown adults don’t like the idea of a 12-year-old kid having The Sword That Seals The Darkness and being the prophesized hero. Go figure.

So yes, Link has faced all types of arrogance, especially from those who are all bark and no bite. They’ll try and goad him into a fight, only to end up on the floor a few seconds later. Or, as he matured, ignored and humiliated by his silence.

Which is why, when Revali quite literally flies into his life, Link is sure they’ll never get along.

***

The meeting with Revali could have gone better, to say the least.

He never imagined the Rito champion to be such an insufferable person. He had only seen Revali twice before, during the official champion ceremony and the knighting ceremony. During the former, they hadn’t gotten the chance to talk beforehand, all too busy making preparations around the castle. Afterward, their only interaction was taking the picture Purah snapped with the Sheikah Slate, and Daruk had been talking to Link for most of that. Words were never exchanged between the two.

Even during Princess Zelda’s highly uncomfortable knighting ceremony, they never talked, all choosing to head to their respective regions as soon as the ceremony ended.

Now, Link is grateful. He doesn’t know how well he would have handled Revali’s comments back then. The newly added stress of being a royal knight had been making him lose his temper far too easily.

In their first actual meeting, it took all of his Goddess given patience not to scowl and accept the challenge of a fight right then and there. He’s too old to fall for such childish taunts, but something about Revali makes him want to throw away all his training and inhibitions.

He can’t believe he’s going to have to travel with that guy. He can already imagine how the trip will go; Revali, bragging day and night, goading Link into ridiculous fight after fight, with Link having to grind his teeth and clench his fists while trying not to combust from anger. Maybe the princess will join in, make her sharp comments that aren’t outwardly aggressive but whose hidden insult can be heard quite clearly.

Link is beyond exhausted and they haven’t even left Rito Village.

Whoever decided to saddle him with this destiny bullshit owes him a hefty refund.

***

The next morning after the disaster meeting, their trip begins.

The plan is to meet up with all the champions and travel Hyrule as a type of bonding exercise, per the king’s orders. Apparently, he believes they need to strengthen their bonds to have greater success in defeating the calamity. The princess privately disagrees, but Link thinks she’s just annoyed at the loss of time for research. Revali thinks the idea ridiculous. Calls it a waste of time and effort in which he could be practicing archery. Link doesn’t know what to think.

Still, orders from the king are not to be ignored, and so they’re headed to Death Mountain, Daruk being the next champion on the list. Link is glad, the Goron champion has been a good friend of his for a while now. Maybe the whole trip won’t be spent feeling miserable.

Revali and the princess get along surprisingly well, to Link’s dismay. He was (selfishly, cruelly) hoping Revali’s attitude would eventually annoy the princess, but it seems she’s used to it. She neither enables Revali nor knocks him down a peg, even finding him funny at times.

It's good that the princess has a friend, really it is. Link tries his hardest to not feel left out, to not take offense, even as they occasionally huddle close and whisper. He fails. He wonders if they’re talking about him.

The only silver outline is the lack of goading Revali does, which is sad but he’ll take what he can get. He still mocks Link, of course, but for the majority of the time, he resorts to ignoring and the occasional glare. The princess says nothing.

***

They’ve stopped at Snowfield Stable, night having fallen faster than anticipated. Link lets the other two know he’ll be by the fire if they need him, and gets a half-hearted nod from the princess and total silence from Revali for his troubles. He might as well not have signed anything. Sighing, he settles down and basks in the warmth of the fire.

About an hour filled with quiet snow-watching later, his fingers automatically reach for the envelope hidden in one of his pouches. Bringing it out, he notes the slight wrinkle and frowns. He’ll have to be more careful with its safekeeping.

Taking care to be gentle, he slides his thumb under the unopened seal and takes out its contents; A three-page letter and what looks like a drawing. He looks at the letter first, carefully tracing the slightly messy words written by Aryll. The last letter he received from her, just before this whole journey began.

Link hasn’t opened it until now. He wanted to hold on to this one piece of familiarity for when he needed it most. Well, no time like the present.

The letter itself contains nothing big, just Aryll’s ramblings pertaining to happenings in the family farm, but they fill him with a warmth that makes the fire in front of him seem like nothing but a match. All of the stories are humorous, Aryll’s not so subtle attempt to keep his cheer up. Still, he’s grateful.

In one of them, Aryll writes of how she’d been trying to feed the cuccos when Wolf, the family dog, burst in and scared them half to death. Most had run off to hide in their coop, but one particularly terrified cucco had decided the top of Aryll’s head would make for an excellent hiding spot. Wolf, in turn, went for the only visible cucco, resulting in a ten minute chase that ended in scratches for Aryll, Wolf in house-arrest, and one very traumatized cucco. Link makes no effort to tone down the grin on his face. She always was an amazing storyteller.

Switching over to the drawing, his grin softens

It’s of the two of them. Link appears to be mid-run, smile spread wide on his face, a laughing Aryll riding piggyback. Wolf is chasing after them, a cucco riding on his own back. He chuckles at that last detail. Aryll has been getting better at drawing, the quality rising with every letter she sends. His heart swells with fondness. Aryll is the best, even if she is a brat at times.

“I didn’t know you could smile.”

Link startles out of his reverie, eyes snapping to the source of the voice, and spots Revali. He’s standing near the stable entrance, the low light making him almost invisible.

The smile drops from Link’s face in an instant. He brings his attention back to the letter, carefully folding it and the drawing before slipping them back into the envelope. Placing it gently into one of his pouches, careful to avoid wrinkling it this time, he straightens up and faces Revali once more.

He’s closer now, the fire able to reach his frowning face, gaze fixed on the pouch the letter resides in before taking notice of Link’s attention on him. The scowl deepens and Link expects him to turn right back into the stable, but no. Instead. he moves to sit opposite Link. The fire crackles, filling the tense silence.

Link is so confused. What is Revali even doing out here? Didn’t he go to sleep around an hour ago?

The silence seemingly becomes too much for him, as Revali clears his throat, looking as if he were to be physically ill, and says “So...letter from a girlfriend?”

Um. What.

Is. Is he trying to make small talk?

Revali, the champion who said Link’s role as the hero was asinine and basically implied Link was nothing impressive without the sword directly to his face....is trying to make small talk?

Link’s befuddlement must show on his face, because Revali huffs, looking beyond uncomfortable as he turns to stare at the fire, muttering, “Nevermind, can’t believe I forgot you’re rubbish at conversation.”

Well, at least that last comment is normal. Ish. The whole situation is ridiculous. It feels more like a strange dream (nightmare?) than real life.

Maybe the weirdness of it all gets to him, as instead of staying still and quiet, Link raises his hands and signs, ‘Not a girlfriend, my sister.’

A blank stare meets his words that are then followed with “I don’t know your silly hand speaks, Hylian.” a few seconds later. Link sighs. Of course.

He seriously debates on just dropping any attempt at communication, but. Something stops him. Maybe it’s the lateness of the hour, or the cold wind biting his cheeks, or even the limited light offered by the fire. Or, maybe it’s the way Revali looks tired, as if sleep had evaded his clutches for a few too many nights. Again, Link wonders why the Rito is out here.

Whatever it is, it makes Link reach down, towards his bag, and takes out an old notebook as well as a stubby pencil. It’s a crude form of communication, but he doesn’t feel like talking, so he won’t. Opening the book to a blank page, he quickly jots down, ‘ _Not a girlfriend. My sister._ ’ and shows it to Revali, who’s been staring at him in confusion.

Scanning the admittedly wonky letters, Revali raises an eyebrow “Of course your handwriting would be no less messy than a bokoblin’s.” Link shrugs, not particularly offended. Aryll has taken any and all opportunities to mock him already.

Still, he’s answered. A conversation can be carried out. It’s now up to Revali if he wants to continue.

And it seems he does, as he says, “So, taking note of your...slow form of communication, I assume the rumors of your lack of speech are real then?” There’s genuine curiosity in Revali’s voice, even with the ever-present tone of mocking. Link wonders how he does that all the time.

Shaking his head, Link writes ‘ _I can speak. I just don’t sometimes._ ’ A bit of an oversimplification, but who cares about the tiny details. Revali frowns at the words, not saying anything, so he decides to add ‘ _Haven’t spoken in months._ ’

“But, why?” Revali seems too surprised to add any insults.

Again, Link shrugs, ‘ _Don't feel like it._ ’

Like hell he’s going to share any actual reasons. He may be carrying out a weird semi-pleasant conversation but he’s not stupid enough to trust Revali with any of his secrets.

Revali scoffs, wings crossing in front of him, “Oh right, forgive me for forgetting you’re _the hero._ ” He drawls, sarcasm dripping from every word “Of course you can do anything simply because you ‘feel like it.’” he actually raises his wings to do air quotes and everything. Link resists the urge to roll his eyes.

' _I meant, I don’t need to justify anything to you._ ’ he tries to make the words seem as non-accusatory as possible. It’s too late (early?) for this. He’s not looking for a fight. It’s not an insult to Revali, merely stating a fact.

Revali takes it as an insult. Of course. Bristling, he opens his beak, probably aiming to insult him some more but Link raises his hand. Miraculously, Revali holds his tongue.

The noise of the pencil on paper is the only sound for a few minutes, sometimes interrupted by Revali’s foot tapping the floor in bursts as he repeatedly sighs in impatience.

As soon as the last word has been written, Link flips the notebook.

‘ _It’s not an insult, Revali._ ’ The use of his name seems to startle him, eyes wide as they scan the paper, ‘ _We aren’t friends. At best, we’re coworkers. Not close enough for me to need to explain why I am the way I am or why I do the things I do. I don’t need to give you justifications for my actions because you don’t have a reason to need them._ ’

His wrist aches a bit from the fast-paced writing. It’s been so long since he’s had to resort to using paper and pencil to be understood. Most Hylians know basic sign language these days, becoming more popular as the legendary hero was seen using it. It’s one of the only good things that came out of this whole destiny debacle.

The words seem to do the trick at least, as Revali settles down and looks away. He’s quiet for a long time, expression carefully blank. Link takes this as an opportunity to study him.

The light of the fire illuminates Revali’s sharp features, and he can’t help but find him strangely handsome. The deep navy blue of his feathers is beautiful, reminding Link of the ocean he and Aryll always liked to go to near the village. The feathers themselves look insanely warm, Revali appearing unbothered by the cold. Link wonders if they're as soft as they seem. Looking past the feathers, Revali seems to be in good shape. Has to be, really, with the amount of archery he must do. His eyes, however, have to be the most striking feature. Jade green eyes that seem to hold seas of emotion, so vibrant and- alive is the best way he can really describe them. The markings surrounding them contrast nicely to create a look that screams ‘ _look at me!_ ’ Link wonders if the markings are truly natural or a result of make-up. Either way, they’re a really good look on him.

Startled by how attractive his mind seems to find Revali, Link hastily looks down, choosing instead to observe his hands fiddling with the notebook pages. He hopes his incessant staring wasn’t too noticeable.

Then, Revali speaks, voice sounding much more subdued, “You have a sister, then?”

Too grateful that his staring was ignored to care about the blatant change of subject, Link nods.

Revali hums, not looking particularly interested but seeming reluctant to let the tense silence continue. “Poor child, it must have been a nightmare to grow up around you.” The words are harsh, but his tone is too soft to really do any damage.

Unbidden, Link rolls his eyes, the ends of his mouth quirking up. Revali’s words remind him of Aryll’s penchant to whine that now she can only be remembered in history as “The Hero’s Sister” instead of “Aryll the Amazing Artist.” She likes to drag it out (her record so far is a full fifteen minutes, in which Link very nearly died of lack of oxygen from laughing too hard) and then demands that Link atones for this terrible deed by buying whatever sweet her mind currently craves. He thinks not even Revali could reach her level of dramatics.

He weighs the decision on whether or not he should tell the story, ultimately deciding it can really do no harm and writes it (keeping the last thought unmentioned). It takes a bit, but he tries to write as fast as he can.

To his delight, Revali’s eyes fill with amusement as he reads it, “I see now who inherited the brains. Pity all you obtained were your looks and the sword.” He laughs at his own joke, Link chuckling along...until. He realizes.

It seems Revali realizes what he said around the same time, laughter cut short.

Their eyes widen, meeting each other over the fire. There’s a beat of awkward silence before they quickly avert their eyes. Link’s face is flushing, much to his surprise and mortification. Revali clears his throat.

For once in far too long, Link actually wants to continue the conversation. Revali is surprisingly good company when he’s not being a total prick. Words escape him, however, his hands more frozen than the ice on a frost talus.

Revali stands up, startling Link into looking up at him. He notices the sudden eyes on him and says, far too loudly.“I-I mean, hah, pity for the looks, as even those are...uh lacking!” The long pause and high-pitched level of his voice make the insult fall flat. All Link can do is stare, eyes wide, mouth parted. Cheeks feeling far too warm.

“Well, would you look at the time? I should head back to my bed. Not long from sunrise now, should get some rest while I still can. You too, you..sad excuse of a hero, you don’t want to be looking like a stalfos! You’ll be no use to the princess-that is, even more than you already are, of course!”

During his short speech, Revali has been edging slowly towards the stable, voice growing more desperate with each word. The last bit finally registers and Link manages to just barely write a quick ‘ _Good night._ ’

The probably unexpected words startle Revali badly enough that he trips. Link’s arms shoot out instinctively but Revali has already regained his balance. He adjusts his scarf, clearing his throat once more before simply nodding and hurrying into the stable, leaving Link alone and confused.

That was. Something.

Running through tonight's events in his mind repeatedly, it's no wonder Link fails to fall asleep that night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is my first time writing action, hope it's not boring oof. also, small trigger warning for mentions of blood, but it's nothing too big I think. Stay safe

If Link is hoping for a better reception after their weird late-night talk, he’s sorely disappointed.

He’s petting Epona right now, waiting for the princess and Revali to wake up. Too restless to sleep, he’d decided to hang out with his horse, who never judged him and implied he was good looking only to run away and insult him. All Epona’s after is pats and the sweet apples he carries around. Simple. Predictable.

He wishes his life was like that.

The princess is the first to exit the stable, her fluffy white coat blending with the snow falling around them, golden hair already tied up in her usual hairstyle, expression carefully blank, the perfect calm mastered by the royal family. Looking at her from the corner of his eye, he can see why there are many songs and sonnets dedicated to her beauty. 

And yet, thinking of her as beautiful doesn’t cause the same reactions in Link as he gazed at Revali. The thought lingers.

***  
When Link was 13, he fell in love for the first time.

She was expressive and funny, never afraid to take his hand and drag him and Aryll on wild adventures in the forest near Hateno Village. She let him be a kid, never letting the sword on his back stop her teasing. Art was her passion, her watercolor paintings reminding him of the night sky on particularly clear nights. Her hair was always let loose, long black curls framing her face and always blocking her eyes, causing her to blow the strands away in a move Link never became tired of. 

What he remembers the most, though, are her eyes. 

Large and russet brown, lighting like fire when the sun beamed upon them. So full of life. 

They never got past shy touches and lingering glances. She moved to another town in the summer, giving Link and Aryll fierce hugs and a promise to never forget them.

The warmth of her hug stayed with him for years.

***

_“Can you hear it, hero?”_

The words ring in his head. Mocking. The princess returns her gaze to the front and continues walking. Link follows. Revali flies overhead, scouting.

The sword has only spoken to him once, when he was 12. When he found it for the first time. When he found _her._

_Standing in front of the altar, in front of the giant tree, in front of hundreds of little beings. As he gripped the swords hilt, palms sweaty and knees shaking, he heard her._

_“I am glad to see you, master. I have missed you, and though you are young, you are worthy.”_

_His hands tightened at the voice, a wave of longing and melancholy so strong rose in him, almost drowning him. Before he knew it, tears were flowing down his cheeks as he practically hugged the sword, a million flashes of a million lives flowing through his young body._

_The intoxicating euphoria of flying, looking to the side and seeing her._

_An endless sea extending before him, his hand gripping a red piece of wood._

_Someone crying, a mirror shattering, a howl laden with bittersweet longing._

_A face, mouth and head covered in cloth, leaving only piercing red eyes, a blue ocarina._

_The moon, looking impossibly big, a feeling of exhaustion._

_A seagull flying above, him smiling through tears as he floats in the sea._

The flashes were too fast. He remembers being overwhelmed, being elated and heartbroken. Remembers feeling a peace so striking and a wave of all-consuming anger. It had lasted for hours and also for a few seconds. He'd been disoriented when it was all over, determined and broken and tired. 

Sometimes, he dreams of those flashes. All concrete memories gone by morning, but the feelings the dreams carry stay with him throughout the day.

The memory is so private, so intimate. Even if he and the princess were friends, he doesn’t think he’d share it.

***

“Ah, I see something!!” Revali’s sharp voice cuts through his thoughts, hands clenching unconsciously around the horse’s reins. He and the princess had decided to let their horses rest a bit, choosing to walk. This way, she could also study the plants around her up close. 

Epona snorts beside him and he gives her a quick pat before taking the reins back. On his other side is the Princess’s horse, Remy, a beautiful white stallion with a wild temperament. He and the princess don’t get along well right now, he’s too unpredictable and she’s too impatient. Link has debated giving her advice, but every time he tries, the princess gives him a sharp look. He sighs. The two have great potential, but at this rate, it will take years. Even now, Rem is resisting, occasionally stopping in objection, making Link have to coax him with soft, reassuring noises and apples as rewards.

Link doesn’t really mind, he grew up with horses, Epona being one of them. He knows how to handle wild ones. Though, Epona herself was a rare case, as she was born in the family farm to one of their wildest horses, but grew to be one of the most gentle mares he’s ever encountered.

Rem huffs, pulling back lightly on Link’s hold. Link makes his hand stay firm, not letting himself be pulled back but not pulling forward either. Epona lowers her head and softly headbutts his shoulder, as if apologizing for her fellow horse’s behavior. Link gives her another pat in appreciation. He really does love her.

The sound of rushing air has him looking up. Revali’s gliding through the air at a relaxed pace, clearly comfortable. Link wonders what it feels like to fly. Aside from the flashes in his dreams, he’s never experienced it. It looks nice.

What would be nicer, he thinks, is if Revali weren’t completely ignoring him. It seems after last night’s weird conversation, he’s taken it upon himself to pretend Link doesn’t exist. It’s not that he misses the annoying comments, but it’s unnerving to not receive even a single glare.

And it’s not like Revali’s been quiet. Oh no. He keeps talking to the princess, cracking jokes he thinks are the epitome of comedy, listening to her rambling about her research, and even hums to himself during quiet moments. He’s just not talking to Link. It’s been a week of this.

Revali swoops down, landing gently beside the princess. “There are monsters ahead, a camp of them,” he says, putting Link on instant alert. 

The princess frowns, “How many? Is it possible to avoid them?” she asks, grabbing the Sheikah slate from its holster, presumably looking at the map. 

Revali shakes his head, “They’ve settled right by the path. It’s just a couple of silver and black bokoblins. Unless we want to add more hours to our journey, we should just get rid of them.” spreading his wings in a grand manner, he adds “I, of course, could do this on my own. Give me a few minutes and I will have us on our way, princess!” 

The princess smiles “I’m sure you could Rev,” A nickname? Where did that come from? “but this trip is about learning to fight with each other, remember? This could be a great trial session for you and Link!” Revali deflates, and it’s almost comical. Fighting side by side is hard when one person refuses to look you in the eyes.

The princess looks back at him, waiting for his answer, and Link nods. Not like he can refuse.

Revali grimaces, seeming ready to argue before the princess looks back at him, smile set on her face. Sighing, he nods as well. 

She claps her hands once, “Great! I’ll stay here with the horses. Be careful.” with that said, she leads the horses under the shade of a tree, promptly taking a seat to fiddle with the slate. Link ignores his instinct to stay at her side and prays to the Goddess she won’t try one of her escape stunts for once. He scans the area for dangers once more before making his way to Revali’s side. One can never be too sure.

Revali barely spares him a glance, saying “Follow me, Hylian.” before setting off down the path. Link entertains the idea of striking a conversation, until he remembers his notebook’s in one of Epona’s pouches. He’d probably be ignored either way.

“Listen, Hylian,” Revali says, abruptly stopping at the edge of the thin trees of the region. From here, the monster camp is visible. He looks at Revali, whose eyes are fixed on the enemies. Revali opens his beak and says in a haughty tone, as if imparting an invaluable and timeless piece of advice onto Link, “Try to not get in my way.”

Holding back a snort, he nods and unsheathes the master sword. “I’ll handle enemies from above, obviously. You just focus on not getting killed and staying away from my arrows. We’ll do a surprise attack, on my signal. Try to keep up, yes?” Revali adds. Unnecessarily so, in Link’s opinion, but simply nods again and steps forward as Revali takes to the skies.

Creeping closer, Link takes note of the terrain. The camp is crude, as most made by monsters are. Large boulders cover a portion of it, and he takes to hiding behind one. Using the sword, he looks at its ever polished blade (Seriously, it always seems to be immaculate once it’s out of the sheath. Like, unnervingly so. Link files it away under Magic Sword Things and keeps it at that) like a mirror and stealthily observes around the corner.

The camp’s charred grass has piles of bones haphazardly placed around a roaring campfire. It’s roasting-or really burning-what smells like boar meat. He wants to wrinkle his nose at the sad excuse for a meal. He knows he can’t expect much from monsters, but really, what a waste of meat. 

Shaking his head, he observes the camp again. As Revali said, it’s just a couple of bokoblins. Four black and three silver. Nothing too hard, but Link has learned to never get cocky in life and especially in battle.

Looking up, he spots Revali approaching, bow held in his talons. Their eyes meet, Revali nods. Link wastes no time, rounding the corner and sneakstriking the nearest enemy; a black bokoblin. It’s unable to let out more than a squeal before it explodes into the usual smoke. 1 down, 6 to go. 

The rest of its friends shriek in surprise, scrambling to take weapons in hand as they realize an attack is happening. Link jumps forward, just barely stopping a second black bokoblin from picking up its bow, and slashing at its neck. It yelps, leaning back so the sword only grazes its skin. Purple blood seeps from the cut. 

His ear twitches, the sound of steps to his left has him ducking, avoiding a club to the head. Kicking out his left leg he manages to trip the second enemy, a silver bokoblin. It screams in outrage, kicking at him and scrambling to get up. Link raises his sword and brings it down again, running it clean between its eyes. It explodes.

He turns back to the other bokoblin, only to see it picking up its bow. He groans internally. Long-range enemies are the worst. He spares a glance upwards, only to find Revali staring at him, wings flapping and beak open. 

Link frowns, hoping to convey his _“What’s wrong?”_ through facial expressions. Revali seems to come out of his stupor, scowling before shaking his head. Link’s about to raise his hands, automatically attempting to communicate via them, when Revali curses, looking past Link. He looks behind him and sees the bokoblin with the bow let loose an arrow, aimed at him. Shit. There’s no time to dodge it completely.

Just as Link’s coming to terms with taking an arrow to the shoulder (Again. Dammit.), a strong gust of wind from above knocks him over-Revali, his mind registers. He grunts, toppling onto his back, and squashing what he thinks are bokoblin guts (he grimaces. Gross), the arrow whizzing past harmlessly above. 

Shocked, he looks for Revali. He’s swooping down, bow held in wings as he lets loose arrow after arrow upon the bokoblin, making what no doubt is a hard maneuver seem effortless. The bokoblin screeches, taken by surprise from above, it stands no chance against the onslaught and crumples to the ground.

Link focuses on the battle once more and notes the remaining enemies, one silver, one black. They’re focused on Revali, shaking their weapons in outrage and throwing rocks in hopes of hitting him.

Chastising himself for getting distracted, he jumps up, and rushes towards the silver bokoblin, hoping Revali will keep the other one occupied. Unfortunately, silver sees him coming, and raises its metal knight’s shield, blocking effectively. He grits his teeth against the harsh recoil the sword makes on contact and jumps back. The bokoblin advances, chortling in delight. It raises its club, bringing it down in what is no doubt a powerful move. He waits, then- dodges at the last minute.

Time seems to slow down, as it always does when he manages a perfect dodge. He slashes and cuts, giving the bokoblin no time to react, before finally thrusting his sword through its torso. It explodes instantly.

Not dropping his guard, he looks around, and is rewarded with the sight of Revali, standing over the last black bokoblin, slashing its throat in one graceful movement with a feathered edge. He looks regal, the wind ruffling his feathers, the sun shining behind him, and casting a barely-there halo. Link stares. There’s no looking away, even as the bokoblin gurgles, choking on its blood before falling limp and exploding as well. 

Revali sighs, his posture relaxing. He bends down to gather the monster drops, snapping Link out of his staring. Following suit, he ignores the heat in his cheeks.

***

It isn’t until they’re back with the princess that Revali speaks again.

The princess sees them approaching and rises from the floor. “That was fast, I see you two are back! Any injuries?” she asks as she stops before them, her nose wrinkles “What is that smell?” She covers her nose with a hand.

Link sighs and raises his hands to sign “It’s my shirt. I accidentally fell on top of bokoblin guts.” The smell has been driving him crazy ever since the walk back. He expected Revali to bitch about it and poke fun, but there was nothing.

“Oh,” the princess says diplomatically, yet not quite able to hide the amusement in her voice. He can't hold it against her, it _is_ pretty funny.

Taking a step back, she looks at Revali, who’s cleaning his feathered edge with a cloth, looking completely nonchalant. She cocks her head. “Revali, you don’t seem bothered by the smell,” she states, echoing his thoughts from earlier. 

Without looking up Revali swiftly replies “A Rito’s sense of smell is much more diminished than a Hylian’s, along with our sense of taste.”

The two Hylians look at him curiously, the princess’s eyes practically sparkling as she opens her research journal. “Really!? Are there any other nuanced biological differences? What about your eyesight? Or your hearing?” she eagerly poises her pencil, ready to write.

Revali finally looks up and chuckles “Our eyesight is many times much sharper than yours, I’m not sure about specifics, though.” he places a wingtip under his beak in a thinking position, clearly loving being the center of attention “What else….Oh! We also have excellent night vision, unlike your poor species. And our…”

Link tunes out the conversation. As interesting as this is, the smell is becoming unbearable. Quietly, he moves away from the other two, heading to the bank of Lake Kolomo. Kneeling down, he unbuckles his baldric and takes the tunic off, leaving him in his white undershirt 

Submerging the shirt in the water, he begins to vigorously scrub the stains out. It won’t be a full wash, meaning the smell won’t completely leave, but it's better than nothing. 

Once the stain is unnoticeable, he takes the shirt out and wrings it (carefully, of course. It was a gift from the royal family.), then makes his way to Epona.

As he’s passing by Revali and the princess, he realizes they’re now talking about today’s battle. The former is giving a (surprisingly unembellished) rundown to the latter. Link stops a few feet away, remembers the way Revali looked as he held a bow in the air, as he stood above a bokoblin, eyes cold and determined.

Credit where credit is due, Link thinks. Revali’s good, making all his movements look effortless, even when Link knows first-hand how tough bows are to wield, let alone that Eagle Bow Revali carries. 

During a lull in the conversation, he approaches. He holds onto his never-ending courage, hoping it won’t suddenly leave him. After draping the baldric and damp shirt over his shoulder and asking the princess to translate, he turns to Revali and signs ‘You’re an amazing archer, I envy your skills with a bow. Thank you for looking out for me.” 

The princess sounds surprised as she dutifully relates his message, but Link’s eyes stay on Revali. 

The reaction is instantaneous. His eyes widen, wings making a half-aborted move upwards, before crossing in front of his chest as he attempts to hide how he puffs up in pride. 

Clearing his throat, he says, “Well, erm, yes, that is why I was chosen as a champion.” A pause, “But, thank you. You...uh, you’re not too bad yourself.” Their eyes stay locked for a few moments, until Link feels his cheeks heating and looks away. “Thank you.’ he signs, and swiftly turns towards Epona before the princess can even speak.

***

It seems King Rhoam’s idea seems to be working out, Link muses. After their joined fight and subsequent (awkward) compliments, they get along better.

They begin to have mundane conversations. They talk about the weather, about nature, and about weapons. Safe topics, at first. Then, slowly, they begin to add more. Occasionally Revali will ask about Aryll, or even about Wolf. Link returns the effort and asks about Rito village, about the flight range.

There is still much they don’t discuss; Link’s muteness, Revali’s lack of family, the sword on his back, and more. But, it’s nice. They’re tentatively opening up to each other. A slow process, with Revali’s ego and Link’s secretiveness, but that’s okay. Link takes to carrying around his notebook and a pencil at all times. 

Revali is still antagonistic of course, but in a much friendlier sense, as he’s become more of a (self- proclaimed) rival than an enemy. He comes up with the most inane competitions, like who can name the most combat moves (Link wins), or aerial moves (Revali wins that one. Link still thinks it’s cheating). Once, he even uses types of flowers as a topic (The princess wins that one, funnily enough. She didn’t often join these, choosing to listen instead. Revali and Link had only been able to name five and three respectively, before she’d sighed loudly and named far too many to count, stating both scientific names and common names as well as any variations. Revali steers away from nature in future topics. 

It’s not that they want to exclude her! They’re just both a bit terrified of her. No one should know that much).

Link is glad things are changing for the better, but he can’t help but worry over the princess. She’s become more reserved, quieter. Her talks with Revali lessen, some days they don’t speak to each other at all. Link has caught the betrayed looks she sends Revali”s way when he speaks to Link. Has caught Revali’s own frustrated face when looking at the princess.

He wants to mention this to Revali, but even his courage is not up to the task. Guilt eats at him, but also knows it’s not really any of his business.

And so, in the familiar way he’s done so often in his life, he puts on a mask and worries in silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i. have no excuse for why this is so late. life has just been kicking my ass and my motivation plummeted. I won't have a consistent update schedule, as school started and since it's my senior year I'm stressing abt college stuff, sorry :(
> 
> anyways, i hope you enjoyed this chapter! It's a bit shorter than the last one but it was best that I cut it off here, as going into the next bit would make the chapter far too long, so no Daruk yet, sadly. also!!! thank you to everyone who kudo'd and commented, u guys give me life, seriously.
> 
> also small note: I changed the format of Link signing to no longer be italics and have actual quotation marks bc I read that the way I was doing it could make it seem like sign language is not considered an actual language so! btw I won't be changing the first chapter bc it has rlly minor moments of link signing and I just don't have the time to comb through the entire thing. if you have any constructive criticism please feel free to share, I love you and I hope u have a lovely day/night.

**Author's Note:**

> title comes from the song Levers by Roland Faunte, I recommend giving it a listen, it's so good.
> 
> forgive me for any inconsistencies between the story and the game, it's been a hot minute since I've played it. also, Link's sister is based on that one image from the Japanese version of the master works featuring link's potential fam. I named her Aryll bc I really liked windwaker and also the loz series likes reusing names. I thought it was fitting. I'm loosely basing their relationship on me and my brother, so hopefully, it feels like an actual sibling dynamic.
> 
> constructive criticism is appreciated! I'm not the best writer and I'm always looking for ways to improve :)
> 
> I don't have a posting schedule but next chapter should be out sometime next week, thank you for reading and I hope u stay tuned! i don't have all the chapters written but I do have my basic layout, which will hopefully motivate me to finish this uwu
> 
> also...formatting on ao3...is a nightmare ESPECIALLY bc im computer iliterate. literally spent like 2 hrs formatting this stupid thing istg. forgive me if theres any glaring mistakes i was at my limit by the end.


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